Italy: 2009-10 Serie A Preview

In 2003 Italian club football reached its peak when AC Milan and Juventus met in the Champions League Final in Manchester. Six years later, that same Final was held in Rome, but Italian sides were nowhere to be found. All of them had left the competition following the Round of 16. The 2008-09 campaign was a step back for Serie A. A combination of bad economics and aging stars has lead many observers to predict more of the same this season.

Struggles in Europe don't rule out an entertaining league competition, though. Inter Milan are seeking their fourth-straight scudetto, but domestic honors won't be enough for Jose Mourinho in his second season in Italy. The Special One was brought in to succeed where his predecessors could not- in the Champions League. Another early European exit soured an otherwise successful campaign. After the Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Samuel Eto'o swap, the champs will adjust to a new style of play. (Odd photo choice for Jose in that Soccernet piece, no?)

If Inter is to be challenged, the threat will come from Juventus. A mix of veterans and newcomers have the Turin squad poised for success. Fabio Cannavaro is back in black and white and Juve have one of the world's best goaltenders in Gigi Buffon.

Inter's San Siro roommates, AC Milan, have captured only one league crown this decade, and would love to put a stop to their rival's run. But under new Brazilian manager Leonardo, the Rossoneri are a team in transition. Leaders both on the field (Kaka) and in the locker room (Paolo Maldini) are gone, and Milan are among the many teams exercising more fiscal responsibility this year, so it could be a rough go.

Fiorentina have made a habit of earning European berths, but have yet to put together a title run. AS Roma are traditional contenders, but a messy financial situation there undermines their hopes. Teams dead set on making a run in Europe often do so at the expense of the domestic campaign, and if Inter have all eyes on a May date in Madrid, that could open the door for Juventus to take back the scudetto.

A Playoff for Europe

The beauty of the European domestic season is the simplicity of the schedule. You play everyone in your league twice- once at home and once on the road. There is no fairer way to determine a champion. Many of my uniformed American friends are shocked to learn there are no playoffs in European soccer. Especially in the NBA and NHL (and increasingly so in MLB and NFL), the regular season is merely a precursor to the real season- the playoffs. So the thought of a sport without playoffs is difficult for American fans to comprehend.

I would never suggest that the European leagues change their formats, but let's imagine what domestic league playoffs might look like in the top four leagues. We'll take eight teams, playing a two-game aggregate for the quarters and semis, followed by a one-game championship at a neutral site. Based on the current standings in England, Germany, Italy and Spain, your match-ups would look like this:

England
(1) Manchester United vs. (8) Tottenham
(2) Liverpool vs. (7) Fulham
(3) Chelsea vs. (6) Everton
(4) Arsenal vs. (5) Aston Villa
-The separation at the top of this year's Premier League is quite significant, so you're looking at a three-team fight. ManU cruises to the final and awaits the winner of another Liverpool-Chelsea battle.

Germany
(1) Wolfsburg vs. (8) Hoffenehim
(2) Bayern Munich vs. (7) Schalke
(3) Hertha Berlin vs. (6) Hamburg
(4) Stuttgart vs. (5) Borussia Dortmund
-Only 12 points separate the eight Bundlesliga playoff qualifiers, so this tournament is anything goes. Bayern Munich would be the favorites, but their form in 2009 has been anything but consistent.

Italy
(1) Inter Milan vs. (8) Udinese
(2) AC Milan vs. (7) Palermo
(3) Juventus vs. (6) AS Roma
(4) Fiorentina vs. (5) Genoa
-The Champions League has not been kind to Inter in recent years, so this format may not be for them. With three trips to the European Final since 2003, however, it is a better fit for their crosstown rivals.

Spain
(1) Barcelona vs. (8) Málaga
(2) Real Madrid vs. (7) Deportivo La Coruña
(3) Sevilla vs. (6) Villarreal
(4) Valencia vs. (5) Atlético Madrid
-Given the 15-point gap between second and third place in La Liga, anything outside of a Barcelona-Real final would be a shock.

Italy: A Special War of Words

I have no ties to any teams in Serie A, but I have a feeling I'll be following Inter Milan a lot more closely this season thanks the ongoing brilliance/antics of Jose Mourinho. The Times of London likened the Special One to Barack Obama this week in terms of his status as a media darling.

The war or words between Obama and John McCain may carry more weight this fall, but likely won't be as entertaining as the one brewing between Mourinho and AC Milan boss Carlo Ancellotti. Having dodged rumors all spring that Mourinho would be taking his job, Ancelotti is no doubt already sick of the charismatic Portuguese manager.  It's not like Ancelotti is some chump manager; he has two Champions League crowns to Mourinho's one. The back-and-forth between these two should add plenty to an always-tense Milan derby.

Italy: Inter Hold on to Scudetto

Despite some late-season struggles, Inter Milan held on to win their third-straight Serie A title with a 2-0 win over Parma.  A pair of second-half goals by Zlatan Ibrahimovic were enough to give the Nerazzuri their 16th title.

Their pursuers, AS Roma, applied the pressure by taking a 1-0 lead at Catania Calcio in the 8th minute.  A Roma win and an Inter draw would have sent the crown to the capital city, but with their title hopes dashed once Inter took a 2-0 lead, Roma surrendered a late equalizer to draw 1-1.

The day's other significant result saw Fiorentina hold off AC Milan for fourth place and a spot in next year's Champions League.  Milan trailed Udinese 1-0 at the half, but four second-half goals sparked a 4-1 rout.  That put the pressure on Fiorentina to get a win at Torino, and Pablo Osvaldo's 76th minute strike was all the Viola needed to secure fourth.   

The Final Countdown

There's plenty at stake this weekend as the league seasons in Italy, France, Germany and Spain come to a close. Here's a preview.

Italy: The scudetto is on the line as Inter Milan looks to hold off Roma. Inter, who hold a one-point lead, are at Parma, while Roma are at Catania Calcio. Those two sides will join third-place Juventus in next year's Champions League, with the fourth spot going to Fiorentina or AC Milan. Fiorentina hold a two-point lead and are away to Torino. AC Milan, who hold the advantage on goal differential, host Udinese. All games kickoff Sunday at 9 AM Eastern.

France: A draw should be enough to give Lyon a record seventh-straight Ligue 1 crown when they travel to Auxerre. Bordeaux will look to erase the two-point gap when they visit Lens. Both games are slated for 2:50 PM Eastern on Saturday.

Germany: Bayern Munich have already won the Bundesliga, but the jockeying continues for European positions. Werder Bremen will look to hold off third-place Schalke for an automatic spot in the Champions League group stages. Even if Schalke can't erase the two-point deficit, they'll still head to Champions League qualifying. Four teams are tied at 51 points for two UEFA Cup slots- Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg currently lead on goal differential over Wolfsburg and Stuttgart. The finales kickoff Saturday at 9:30 AM Eastern.

Spain: Real Madrid clinched the title two weeks ago. Villarreal and Barcelona will join them in next year's Champions League. Atletico Madrid will only need a point against Valencia to top Sevilla for the fourth spot, but if Atletico lose and Sevilla defeat Atheltic Bilbao, Sevilla will earn fourth on goal differential. The final games start Sunday at noon Eastern.

Scotland: Due to a series of scheduling quirks, Glasgow Rangers, trailing rivals Celtic by four points, will play three league games on the road in six days beginning Saturday. With two games in hand on Celtic, Rangers will be at Motherwell on Saturday, at St. Mirren on Monday, and at Aberdeen on Thursday. Celtic finish on Thursday at Dundee United. Two days after the league season ends, Rangers face Queen of South in the Scottish Cup Final.

Race Continues in France, Italy

The races in Italy and France will go down to the final weekend, as neither Inter Milan nor Lyon could wrap up consecutive titles Sunday.  Inter missed out on a chance to secure the Scudetto for the second straight week, drawing 2-2 at the San Siro against Siena.  Roma's 2-1 win over Atalanta brought them to within a point of Inter with one game to play.  Both teams are away to relegation-threatened sides next week; Inter face Parma, while Roma finish at Catania.  

In France, Lyon defeated Nancy 1-0, but Bordeaux remained two points back of the six-time defending champs with a 2-0 win over Sochaux.  Next week, Lyon are at Auxerre, while Bordeaux visit Lens.

Triumph for Bayern, Real

It wasn't pretty, but Bayern Munich wrapped up the Bundesliga today with a 0-0 draw away to VfL Wolfsburg. It's the 20th Bundlesliga title for the Bavarians and third domestic double in four seasons.

Later in the day, Real Madrid clinched their 31st La Liga title, coming from behind down a man to post a 2-1 win over Osasuna.

Inter Milan hoped to join the celebration Sunday, but fell in the Milan derby 2-1 to AC Milan. Saturday, a goalless draw against Nice kept Lyon from wrapping up a seventh-straight French Ligue 1 title.

Checking in on Serie A

With four games to go in the Serie A season, Inter Milan appear poised to capture their third straight Scudetto. The Nerazurri lead Roma by six points, with three of their four remaining matches against teams in the bottom half of the table. The Milan derby is the only challenge left on their schedule. Inter, who drew 0-0 in their Coppa Italia semifinal first leg against Lazio, will look to capture the domestic double on the field for the first time in team history. (Their 2006 double came when they were awarded the Serie A crown after the Juventus match fixing scandal.)

Second place Roma have a firm grip on Italy's second berth in the Champions League group stages, leading third place Juventus by five points. It's an eight-point drop down to fourth where Fiorentina, still alive in the UEFA Cup, will look to hold off AC Milan and Sampdoria for fourth place and a slot in the Champions League qualifying third round. Fiorentina lead both teams by four points and are home to Sampdoria next Sunday.